Low-head rotary pump



Jan. 10, 1933. R O, COUCH 1,893,614

LOW HEAD ROTARY PUMP Filed Dec. 27 1930 2 -SheeS-Sheel l f 2 3553i? llln his flo'mwg Jan. 10, 1933. R, O. COUCH x 1,893,614

Low HEAD ROTARY PUMP Filed Deo. 27. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q i Y b S5? his awww/ms Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES BOYDEN 0. COUGIBI,I F GRANT, FLORIDA LOW-HEAD ROTARY PUMP Application ledDecember 27, 1930. Serial No. 505,051.

The object of this invention is to produce a pump which may be installed in places where water is to be raised only a comparatively small distance, that is, not more than -a few feet. IThe pump is intended to be used particularly in outdoor places where the water is to be raised for drainage or for irrigation purposes.

f1 further object of the invention is to provide a pump which may be easily and quickly installed 4in the desired position so that the water may be raised from a stream, canal, tank or other body of water to a slightly higher point in the same or another canal,

stream or conduit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pump so that the intake and discharge portions of both may be submerged, with the result that the actual head required to be overcome by the pump is not increased by any unnecessary lift of the water. Irhis together with very short pump sections allows maximum eiiiciency to be obtained and a large amount of water can be raised and discharged with a smaller amount of power ythan has apparently heretofore been possible.

For a detailed description of one form of my invention which l deem is preferable,

reference may be had to the following specication land to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view of my improved pump casing and the rotor member thereof being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view ofthe outer casing taken on a radial vertical plane of the device, as shown in Fig. 1 and substangally atethe point indicated by the line 2 2,

ig. 4 Fig.7 3 is an elevational view showing the `rotor of the pump in elevation and the stationary" plates thereof and a portion of the outer casing in section;

Fig. 4 is a horizontalsectional view taken Substantially on the line 4 4, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical elevation of the outer housing or casing as seen from the same position as the sectional view of Fig. 1.

` Referring to the drawings, the numeral l indicates a substantially cylindrical housing or casing of sheet metal, the lower portion of which is provided with the openings 2-and 2 for the egress of water. vvrlhe outer casing 1 is also provided just above the outlets 2 and 2 with a partition or diaphragm '3 which prevents the water from entering the upper part of the casing and forms a guide for the outflow of the water.

The amount of ow of the water through the openings 2 and 2 is controlled by slid-v able gates in the form of rectangular plates 4 and 4. These are adapted to slide vertically in the grooves or channels 5 and 5. :Each of the plates 4 and 4 is provided near its lower edge with lugs 6, to which are attached suitable connecting rods 7 which carry at their upper ends an eye 8 forming a bearing which receives a pin or bolt 9, so that the rods 7 are pivotally connected with a vertical bar 70 10 which is also pivoted at 11 to a lever 12 carried by a curved support 13. rlfhere are preferably four of these curved supports 13, the lower ends of which are connected with a cylindrical casing 1 and the point at which 75 they unite at the top carries a bearing 14 for the vertical driving shaft 15K From the above it will be appreciated that when the lever 12 is raised the plate or gate 4 will be raised correspondingly to uncover more or less of the opening tube. This will allow a control of the flow of water from within the casing 1.

As indicated in the drawings, there are preferably four of these gates 4 and 4 located in slightly less than C of the circumference of the casing and any one of the gates may be operated independently of the others. The' lower part of the external casing is slightlyv enlarged as indicated at 16 and is also provided with four openings 17 and 17. These openings, are also adapted to be covered by gates similar to those above described and indicated'at 18 and 18. These gates are operated in, a similar manner to the upper gates throughfthe connections comprising the rods 19, the bar 2O and the lever 21, which is also connected to the curved support 13. Each of the four lower gates 18 and l8r-is similarly operated and covers slightly less than 9 0o 10 of circumference of the lower portion of casing 16. The bottom. of the casing is pref- .position in the manner indicated in Figs. 1

and 3. The hub 24 carries a cylindrical recess or socket Within which is contained a rubber bushing 28 which is lined with a bronze or non-corrodible metal 29 which forms a bearing for the! lower end of the drive shaft 15.

On the drive shaft 15 is fixed a hub 30 and said h ub 30 carries a series of vanes 31, preferably four in number, which constitute the rotor pr propeller member of Athe pump. The outer ends of thesevanes are preferably machined so that they fit accurately but movably within the cylindrical portion of the conduit 26, as indicated in Fi 4. Above the hub 30 and surrounding the-s aft 15 is a second fixed hub 32 which is also provided with a rubber bushing 33 and a metallic/bearing or other bushing 34 similar to those in the'lower flxed hub 24. Radiating from the hub 33 is a series of inclined guide vanes 35, preferably ve in number, which serve to guide the water upward and prevent unnecessary rotation of lthe water or reverse currents thereof. The` outer ends of these guide vanes are also attached to the conduit 26, and thereby hold the hub 32 in fixed position. The upper end of the hub 34 receives the lower end of a tube 36 which surrounds the drive shaft 15 which is preferably provided at the top with a roller or ball-bearing 37 (the details of which are not shown). The drive shaft 15 is also provided with a suitable drive pulley 38 to receive a suitable belt fromthe power mechanism such as an electric motor or other device. It is obvious, of course, that the armature of an electric motor may be mounted directly on the drive shaft 15 in place of the pulley 38.

From the above description it will be apparent that when the driving pulley 38 is rotated, the shaft 15 and the vanes 31 are also rotated and the movement of the vanes 31 from right to left in Fig. 1 or in a clockwise direction in Fig. 4 will cause the water to be drawn through the openings 17 and 17 through the conduit 26 and from there discharged above the diaphragm`27 so that the water will be caused to flow outward through the openings 2 and 2, dependinglon which ones are open 0r closed. Y

As indicated in Fig. 4 the concrete piers or walls 40, 41,42 and 43 may constitute dividing walls at the crossing point of two canals,

and 41, and 42 and 43, lthe other canal being -and 43. In this case when the lower gates 4 are opened, the upper gates 18 closed, vthe lower gates 4 closed and the upper gates 18 opened, the water will flow from the portions o the canal A-B into the lateral canals C-D. Obviously this low of water may be reversed or water may be distributed 'in any other desired Way by the corresponding manipulation of the-various gates. `It will be appreciated that the water may be similarly raised from one passage to another passage or from the lower portion of one canal to a higher portion of the same canal extending located between the walls 40 and 42, and 4l in the same direction as the first, in which case, of course, only diametrically opposite gates are necessary. It is also obvious that water may be taken in at all points through dicated in Fig. 1 and the upper portion of the casing may be entirely or only partly submerged in the body of water forming the discharge channel or channels. From the above arrangement it will also be apparent that much advantage is obtained in the shape and arrangement of the fixed and rotary vanes of the pump since the edges ofthe rotary vanes move in close proximity to the edges of the fixed vanes, thereby permitting the plates to be easily cleared of grass, weeds,

moss and small trash which would otherwise tend to clog the rotor or vanes of the pump. Thus the rotor plates are automatically cleaned as they pass the edges of the stationary plates on each side thereof"- This fact is of great value wherethe pumpis used as a drainage pump, where the water being vdrained may carry a greater or less quantity of dbris in the form of grass, leaves, weeds, moss, etc.

Having thus described this form of my invention, I do not Wish to be understood'as being limited to the details of form and a1'- rangement of the parts set forth, for various changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In an hydraulic turbine pump having a ipo duit, the walls of said housing having guides extended above said diaphragm and havmg a plurality of angularly disposed inlet and outlet openings above and below said dlaphragm, and independently movable gates for each of said openings in said housing and slidable in said guides which form supports therefor, whereby the points at which the water enters and leaves said housing may be determined.

2. In an hydraulic turbine pump having a continuous draft and discharge conduit in which is a turbine rotor, the improvement which comprises, providing an external columnar housing having a transverse diaphragm substantially intermediate the ends thereof, the opening in which communicates with the/walls of said conduit, said housing having a plurality of angularly disposed inlet and discharge openings below and above said diaphragm and independently and vertically adjustable gates slidable on said housing and adapted to form closures for each of said inlet and discharge openings' respectively.

3. In an hydraulic turbine pump having a draft and discharge conduit in which is a turbine rotor, the improvement which comprises, providing an external substantially 3o cylindrical housing having a plurality of angularly disposed openings in each of the vertical walls thereof above and below said conduit which is centrally located in said housing, a transverse annular dia hragm intermediate` said openings and fldrming an horizontal extension of the upper end of said conduit intermediate the ends of said housing, vertically and independently movable gates adapted to form adjustable closures for each of said openings respectively to control the direction of the inward and outward flow of water therethrough, and means at the top of said housing connected respectively and independently with said gates for ad-` justment thereof in vertical directions.

4. In an hydraulic turbine pump having a draft and discharge conduit enclosing a turbine rotor member, the improvement which comprises, an external housing enclosing said conduit, a diaphragm across thelintermediate portion of the interior of said external housing and having a central opening therein, said conduit communicating with said opening, fixed guide vanes in said conduit above and below said rotor and in close proximity thereto, said external housing having a plurality of angularly related orifices therein below and above said diaphragmfor the intake and outow of water, and vertically adjustable gates adapted to cover more or less of each of said orifices to control the points of the inward and outward iow of. water therethrough.

Signed this 23rd day of December, 1930.

` RoYDEN o. ooUoH, 

